Phase-space analysis of charged and optical beam transport: Wigner rotation angle

The possibility of using the phase space formalism to establish a correspondence between the dynamical behavior of squeezed states and optical or charged beams, propagating through linear systems, has received a great deal of attention during the last years. In this connection, it has been indicated how optical experiments may be conceived to measure the Wigner rotation angle. In this paper we address the topic within the context of the paraxial propagation of optical or charged beams and suggest a possible experiment for measuring the Wigner angle using an electron beam passing through quadrupoles and drift sections. The analogous optical system is also discussed.